Need an aggression solution

[myswtsins]

My Mbunas have not been very active in quite sometime now, mostly they hide out in their caves. My male yellow lab died just the other day but seemed to be in decent shape (no battle wounds) and last night I found one of my female OBs tattered hiding by the surface in the corner. So I think I have an aggression problem & I think it is my male maingano. I never see him fight with anyone (but that doesn't mean it is not happening of course!) but they all run away from him now so no one is standing there ground. It could be a couple other fish too though, they do almost as much chasing!

Question is what to do?

I currently have 19 Mbuna in my 72g which is 11 less than originally planned so I know I am a little understocked. I plan on getting a breeding group (1m:4-5f) of slightly smaller Blue Cobalts (Metriaclima callainos) early next week.

Should I just add the new stock and hope that the increase in stocking will reduce the aggression?
-OR-
Should I replace the Mainganos all together before it is too late?


I will have to redo all the rock work for the new additions either way. If I were to leave the rocks out for a day would that help neutralize the hierarchy or just stress them out?

One more thing, even though it is not the right forum. My red tail shark chases my OBs around but only them, could he have beaten up my OB? Are they capable of causing damage?

Current stock breakdown
1:5 Mainganos
1:3 Albino Socolofi
1:3 OB Red Zebra
0:3 Yellow Labs
2:0 Acei

I need to get a new male yellow lab of course & I have acei growing out right now.

 

[blue2fyre]

hmmm what a mystery

I don't know if you can blame the Maingano, just because he's the boss doesn't mean he's beating up on fish. My demasoni owns my tank and does a lot of aggressive chasing but he has not been responsible for deaths. My male OB killed one of his females and tried to kill another. I have found that each group seems to pick on it's own. I would keep the Maingano for now and keep a closer eye on them. I would also add the cobalts and see how things go. They have their own attitude and may put the aggresor in his place. I had to give up my coblat blue because he was such a jerk. But I only had 1 which was my mistake.

On a side note I have heard of retails going after red zebras because the orangey color is similar to the color red. They seem to hate anything that resembles themselves. Not that a red zebra looks like a red tail shark but the orange maybe too close. How big is yours? If he's a good size he could be your bully.

 

[myswtsins]

Thanks blue for your input on my mystery!

I figured he chased them because of the color cause I know they hate anything like themselves, little jerks. He is about 4" but I am not sure a RTS is capable of tearing fins? I know they are aggressive but I can't find any info that says they will actually damage another fish.

Still leaves the mystery of my dead yellow lab though.

 

[blue2fyre]

The story I read about the red tailed shark and the red zebra was the red tail almost killed the red zebra before he was removed.

I have a really stupid young hara that keeps messing with my red tail shark and he has the marks to prove it. Yet he keeps going back and trying to harass him.

 

[myswtsins]

Hmmm, very interesting! Well if that's the case buh bye sharkie!

 

[Coler]

Lovely looking tank - great work.

If it was a mbuna only tank and you were getting bad beatings/deaths I'd say add more fish - either a new group or less risky increase all of your groups, perhaps ending up with one or two more of the less aggressive species v the more aggro ones (in your case the acei & labs).

The shark however could be a/the factor...

 

[efors]

I would keep the Maingano for now and keep a closer eye on them. I would also add the cobalts and see how things go.

I would do the same thing. About the RTS, I think that one 4" of these guys can be aggressive enough to damage another fish; including a mbuna.
To leave the rocks out for a day, may be helpful, IMO; it would break their territories and confuse them for a while, until you rearrange the rockwork for the new additions.

 

[myswtsins]

Thank you everybody! You guys & girls make my life SO much easier!

Shark is going, easy choice, I love my OBs WAY more than the shark.

Now I am just trying to figure out how many of each species I want and I came to a conclusion.....I need a bigger tank! That is not gonna happen though so I need to work it out.

 

[Pittbull]

Add the Cobalts and about 2 to 3 more on each species max it out..

 

[myswtsins]

Really, that many more? Well here is my ideal list.... which would pretty much match your recommendation of 2-3 more each.

1:5 Mainganos
1:5 Albino Socolofi
1:5 OB Red Zebra
1:5 Yellow Labs
2:6 Acei
1:5 Cobalt

But that gives me 38 Mbuna! Plus the 2 loaches and BN I have in there. I would be more than willing to cut mainganos down to 1:3 but I don't know if that is a good idea. Even though I love my acei I'd go with 1:5 which would bring the total down to 34.

And this is why I need a bigger tank!